Tuesday, February 4, 2014

That's right folks. I pretty much hate to read. Unless it has pretty pictures...as in crafting or quilting magazines...or it has really interesting illustrations, as in reading to my kids. Even some children's books I feel like stabbing myself in the eye with a fork when I see some of the artwork, but I guess that comes from all my years of drawing and doodling. I read blogs (the more pretty pictures they have the better) and I do have a very short list of favorites that I have read several times. Like the Loves Comes Softly series from Janette Oak. I read them for the first time as a tween and have read them several times since. My mom and sister read them also, and there are times when we are together when we talk about the characters like they are family. One of us will say something like, "What does this remind you of?" And someone will chime in with something that has happened in one of the books, and then we all laugh and chit chat about it. Then we look up and dad is looking at us like we are crazy because he doesn't have any idea what or who we are talking about! I have seen on the Hallmark Channel where they have made a couple of them into a movie, but just like any other book made into a movie, they leave out so much important information (to me, anyway) that all I can do when I watch it is say, "That's not how that happened!" Then you really aren't enjoying the movie!

Here are a few more that she wrote that I really liked in case you are interested...Once Upon a Summer I think there were 4 books in this one.When Calls the Heart There were 4 books in this one, also.

Hallmark did a movie series of When Calls the Heart also, but it's really nothing like the book.

I have read the Twilight Series and thought it was really good. I only read it once, but if I had time I could read it again. I don't really like Sci-fi stuff so I found it really weird that I enjoyed it as much as I did. It ended up being one of those book series that I put off laundry and other important tasks until I could get it all read. I do remember a few conversations that went a little like this....

Stephen: "When are you going to wash jeans?"
Me: "I don't know!?! When I'm done with this book, I guess? Why are you asking me such stupid questions?!?"

I read the Hunger Games and took my older boys to see the movie when it came out. Brayden had read them a few years before I had even heard of them. Blaine is too much like me so he read the first page (maybe) and then complained when he didn't like certain parts of the movie. Which I sounded like my sister and told him if he would read the book first, he would get more out of the movie. She would really be proud of me for telling him that.

So, unless I know I am going to have a lot of time to sit and read, I am better off not picking up a book that I know I will really like.

But I did just order two books from Amazon yesterday that I am really excited about getting. They are written by a girl who's blog I have followed for several years. In fact, the first blog post I read, was the one that she was in labor with the baby girl that the book all started from. Her blog name was Bring On the Rain and her name is Angie Smith. Her husband sings in the Christian group Selah, which I had never heard of until I stumbled across her blog. The book is called I will Carry You and is about her pregnancy and loss of one of her daughters. I read through the 'look inside" part on amazon as far as it would let me and it had me on the edge of the chair. Even though I pretty much know what happens because I had followed her on her blog through that time of grief. I started to order it on Kindle but Blaine's kindle has been acting weird and I thought with having the actual book, I could let my friends borrow it. And since I was going to have to pay for shipping anyway, I bought Mended. Angie Smith wrote this one also. So I can't wait to get them in the mail and hopefully I will be able to find time to read them! Have any of you read either of these, or any other books from this author? She has several out now.

I will keep you posted on what I think of the books as I get them read!

Monday, February 3, 2014

I love Pinterest. I know a lot of you probably feel the same way. There is so much to see and so many neat ideas. I love looking at all the quilts on Pinterest. It amazes me how many patterns there are and how they can all look so different from the next. Some are made to look old and some look modern.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been fascinated with hexagon quilts. My mom has one that belonged to my Grandma and it hung on a quilt rack in "the pink room". Anyone that knew my Grandparents knows what that means. There are so many ways to put together a hexagon quilt but hers was put together in a very popular way called "Grandmother's Flower Garden". The pieces are very small and all done by hand. I have a great appreciation for this as I learned how to piece blocks by hand before I ever learned how to use a sewing machine. When I look at it I can only imagine where the fabrics came from and what they were used for before they became scraps. Maybe scraps left from an apron she made herself or a top...or maybe a skirt. I don't ever remember her wearing pants until my mom bought her a pair when she was in the nursing home and always talked about how cold her legs were. Once she put them on she couldn't believe she had gone that long without wearing them! She saved every piece of scraps because she could always use it to make something. She wasn't wasteful at all. I guess most people of that generation weren't wasteful as they were very appreciative to have anything, as small as it may be.

After lots of blog reading and researching the best way to do hexagon blocks, I have finally started one. Will I ever finish it or will it be added to the WIP pile? I don't know. But so far, I am enjoying having something to do while catching up on Downton Abbey or watching Dukes of Hazard with Bryson. I ordered the pre cut hexagons from Etsy as I didn't want to waste time cutting them by hand and they only cost $5 for 66. They are die cut so they are all exactly the same which means the corners will go together smoothly. Unmatched corners are not good! I ordered the 1 1/2" hexagons thinking that would be the size across but I was wrong. Hexagons are measured by the length of the side. So my scraps are too small but don't worry! I have plenty of fabric to cut into to make them. Then I went back and ordered the smaller size for the smaller scraps. I will be able to make 2 quilts now, different sizes and I can lay them out differently to look totally different. Here is a picture of some of them after basting. I will try to get a picture of some of the finished ones soon! I took this picture on my footstool and the lighting isn't great. Hopefully the next one will be better, but you get the idea.

Have any of you ever made a hexagon quilt? I would love to see pictures if you have. Feel free to leave a link in the comments!

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

This is a recipe that I found YEARS ago in a Family Fun Magazine. I typed it out here for you but then realized I could probably find it on their website. So I searched for Family Fun, which apparently has changed to Spoonful.com. But I did search and find the recipe. The amount of pasta on the website listed more than what I had on my recipe card, but Stephen did say when we were eating that it needed more. So either I wrote it down wrong or others thought the same and they modified the recipe. Anyway, I am making the change here too, and listing the recipe in case they should take it off the site.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

I just noticed that on Facebook they have added on the sidebar my "Year in Review" so I clicked and started looking. Most of it was conversations with the boys that I had completely forgotten about, already! They got me tickled and I thought I would post them here for you to enjoy and so when I do forget I can look back and read them!

Feb. 19, 2013Conversations with Bryson....Bryson woke up at 6am and I could hear him whining in his bed. Stephen went to go check on him. He brought him into our room and set him on the edge of the bed. When Bryson said he was gonna throw up, Stephen grabbed him ran him to the toilet just in time. Bryson turns around and looks at me.....

"I love you mommy."

It's no secret who is his favorite parent I don't even have to do anything. hahaha!

March 11, 2013Conversations with Bryson.....Bryson has learned that it annoys his dad when he calls him by his first name. So what does he do? Calls him by his first name.

Yesterday afternoon.....Stephen walks in from the backyard....Bryson: "How's the weather outside....Steve?" Looks at me, covers his mouth and giggles.....Stephen: "It's good....Bryce." Bryson: "What???"

Tonight....bathtub filling with water but Bryson is in his room....Stephen: "Bryson! Get.in.the.tub.now!!!"Bryson: "I'm getting my underwear....STEVE!!!"

Blaine: "Mom.....I have 2 balls stuck in my pants."Me: "Are you kidding me????? We are in public, Blaine. Quit being gross."Blaine: "No, seriously. I have baseballs stuck in my back pockets and I can't get them out."

He turns around and sticks his rear end out at me, and yes, there is a baseball stuck in each back pocket of his SLIM jeans. Meaning SLIM pockets. I look back and all the parents and other family members behind us are dying laughing. Apparently he was sitting with them when he did this and they had all been trying to get them out.So he goes to the bathroom to pull his pants down so he will have some slack in the fabric....

Blaine: "I think the man in the bathroom thought something was wrong in there. I was grunting and pushing and came out with a baseball!"

Me rolling my eyes: "Just get in the car."

August 16, 2013Conversations with Bryson...

Bryson: "You will never ground me mom, will you?"Me: "I'm sure I will at some point in your life. Just look at Blaine."Bryson: "Oh...YEAH! He is like the most groundedest person in our family!!!"Me: "Yes, Bryson, yes he is."

August 24, 2013Conversations with Bryson...Bryson wanted us to take him junkin' this morning...

Bryson: "Mom, can I go outside and play while you finish getting ready?"Me: "Are you ready to go?"Bryson: "Yes!"Me: "Did you brush your teeth?"Bryson: Huffs and rolls eyes...."No, but can I just use mouth wash? I'm not planning on smiling much today."Me: "You might want to smile next week but you're gonna look funny when you do it because you won't have teeth."Sara

Sunday, August 25, 2013

The boys started back to school again this past Monday. Everyone is doing well so far and enjoying it, as much as school can be enjoyed.

Bryson is in 1st grade!

Blaine is in 7th grade!

Brayden is in 10th grade!

They are all exactly 1 foot apart....Bryson is 3'10", Blaine is 4'10" and Brayden is 5'10". I love how they are all stair steps in this picture. Brayden forgot his shoes at his dad's house so we were waiting for him to bring them when I was taking their pictures.

Bryson wanted to get a silly picture. And this is what happens when you ask a 15 year old for a silly picture! I hope everyone else's first week of school is going great!